RPTR
by wesleykim829
Summary: Young Rain had not expected enrolling into Beacon Academy, much less the stress load of school work, let alone the actual training. Add that with a hungry criminal underground, beautiful but deadly creatures of the wild, and a mysterious foe on the loose, and Rain's year looks more and more like a ticking time bomb just waiting to be let off. And it's only the first semester.
1. Rain Falls on Vale

Team RPTR Chapter 1

The shattered moon of Remnant gleamed a cool white light down onto the quiet city of Vale, home of Beacon Academy, a school that trains a special type of warrior known all across the world as Huntsman. It should be known that this night will not be quiet, as a small, dull rectangle of a building was being swarmed by Vale's Special Response Unit, or the VSRU, affectionately called the _**Versu**_. Dressed in their white uniforms and silver armor with helmets lacking noticeable eyeholes, and armed with standard issue auto rifles and retractable wrist-mounted shields, it was pretty clear that subtlety was not part of their approach. A team of four officers stood by the front door, with two on each side. One officer then planted a small device on the door. As he did, a small, red light began to blink, accompanied by a very subtle beeping noise. The rest of the officers then approached the other sides of the building, searching for any other doors to enter through. Luckily for them, there was only one other door at the back of the building. Again, four officers stood by the door, as one officer placed the small device on the back door. The other officers then stood back, taking cover behind their shields, which were large enough to cover the officers' body if they kneel. The officers standing by the doors simply braced themselves for what came next.

The commanding officer, wearing a more distinct black and white uniform held up his left arm. There, instead of the standard shield gauntlet was a smaller gauntlet with an even smaller blue screen. A subtle beeping noise could be heard from the screen, a rhythm in tune with the devices at the door. Then, with no words the commander then pressed a prompt on the gauntlet. The red lights on both devices turned to a solid white, before a sudden blast incinerated the doors. The officers immediately stormed the small building, ready to fire their weapons at their target. The whole building was one giant room, an abandoned factory building of some sort, yet it seemed empty. This set some confusion within the officers, as they frantically searched the massive room, checking all the dark corners for anything out of place. The room was dark, with no windows to let in the blue moonlight. Luckily for the officers, the visor behind their helmets allows them the use of different vision modes, such as night and thermal vision, as well as a radar tracker. One officer went a little further inwards than his fellow squad mates. He swapped through his different vision modes, none of which really aided in his search. And his motion tracker only counted the other officers, which let out a subtle pulsing sound as it scanned the area. Suddenly, the motion tracker let out a low beeping noise, as an indicator appeared on the officer's visor, letting him know which direction he should pay attention to. The officer aimed his weapon to his right, where an arrangement of large, wooden crates lay. The lone officer began to approach, but not before signaling the others to his position.

His motion tracker continued beeping, as the officer slowly made his way towards the crates, the beeping slowly rising in pitch the closer he got. However, he was soon interrupted, as the arrangement of crates suddenly burst outwards, knocking the officer back a few feet. Immediately, all the officers rushed towards where the sound came from. But before they could fully understand what happened, two officers were knocked unconscious via a swift strike to the nape. By the time the officers realized what was going on; two more officers lay unconscious on the ground. But firing their weapons inside the now cramped space would lead to friendly-fire and unnecessary casualties. Their only real useful option was to leave the building so as to set up a perimeter. But some of the newer officers didn't think so, as they began to fire their weapons blindly around the building. The commanding officer had attempted to order the rookies to cease fire, but his orders were drowned out by the sound of rapid gunfire. But then, one by one, the firing stopped, as the rookie officers were also knocked out by the attacker, creating an opening for him to escape.

Even though the officers were sent in to capture this man, they almost seem to part like a sea of liquid metal as he charged towards the door. The attacker began to chuckle, it had seemed as the Versu were not as efficient as he thought they would be, and he had worried over nothing. But just before he could pass the open doors into the night, the commanding officer blocked his path, with no intent on moving. But the attacker couldn't stop there, so he then jumped up, with his feet forward. The commanding officer was then kicked back, while the attacker used the momentum to roll forward. Now outside, the attacker made a beeline for the nearest vehicle, which was a police cruiser. After busting through the window, the attacker immediately entered the cruiser, and managed to hot-wire it to life. But before he could drive, he was fired upon by the remaining officers. While the cruiser would've normally been completely bullet-proof, the smashed window leaves a large opening. The attacker ducked under and slammed the gas pedal. The tires screeched and smoked on the road below, and with that, the attacker was off. The Versu then gave chase, but the attacker had given himself a major head start. The attacker had now entered a full-fledged laughing fit. He had the thrill of his life, all the while making fools of the Versu. But his problems were not over yet, as a cloaked figure on the rooftops hastened his pace.

* * *

The attacker was still evading capture from the authorities, so his routes were far from straight. This didn't make it any easier for the one on the rooftops, as he continued to chase the stolen vehicle around the city of Vale. But then, he decided to take a slight detour, one that the attacker had managed to miss. The chaser jumped onto the roof on his left, running as fast as he could, his legs began to burn, and his breathing grew faster by the second. Then he jumped down into an alley below. Time began to slow for the chaser, as his hand reached back. When he revealed his hand, he held a small, dark blue hilt with two rectangular chambers on both sides. Then immediately, from each chamber emerged a double-sided blade, which the chaser used to stab the front of the vehicle, pinning it to the ground. The chaser then jumped back to avoid slamming his face to the top of the vehicle as the back of it bounced up from the impact. When the chaser landed on solid, hard pavement, he noticed that the attacker in the cruiser was still very much alive, with only minor injuries to speak of. And he was very angry.

The attacker then kicked the door off the cruiser, exiting the vehicle while armed with a buzz saw adjacent weapon in his left hand, and a shotgun-blade on his right. The chaser, covered by a large cloak and hood, took this time to take a gander at the attacker in front of him. The attacker's black hair was ragged and spikey; his figure was somewhat lanky, which was seemingly emphasized by his clothing. A tight body suit with bits of armor covering his chest and lower half. His arms were wrapped in bandages, most likely to make him look tougher rather than to cover any actually injuries. Lastly was his face, his eyes were narrow, mostly due to his anger; he also wore a black bandana that covered his mouth and the bottom of his nose, where the chaser could swear he could see the attacker's face twist with fury.

"Now I don't know who the hell you are, or what you're trying to do stopping me," The attacker then said, all the while pointing his buzz saw at the chaser. "But I'm feeling nice, so I'll let you run off, before I'm forced to see what my saw does to your bones." This only elicited a smirk from the chaser, something that irritated the attacker.

"Well, that's awfully nice of you." The chaser replied. He then grasped his cloak before flinging it into the air, revealing a young boy wearing a white coat with light blue highlights, and dark blue long pants. His dark navy hair was messy with lighter shades of blue at the tips. And that was to say nothing about his weapon, a simple design painted with a vibrant mix of dark violet and blue. He then pointed said weapon at the attacker. "But, after hearing about some of the things you've done, I would be doing this city a major disservice."

Now, another emotion overtook the attacker's rage, dread.

"Wait a minute, you're that kid!" The attacker then stated, his hands began to shake as he began to back away. "What the hell are you doing here?!" Before the attacker could do anything, the young boy suddenly dashed forward, so fast that the attacker didn't actually see him move. The boy then used the flat end of his blades to strike the side of the attacker's face, nearly knocking him over.

"Son of a…" The attacker blurted out, grasping his injured face. He then turned around, facing the young boy who had passed him after striking with nothing but desperation. "Alright, guess I'll have to use this saw after all!" The attacker said, trying but failing to sound tough. "Hope you've had a good life kid!" The attacker then charged at his new problem, swinging his buzz saw with reckless abandon. Unfortunately for him, none of his attacks even came close to grazing the boy. Realizing this, the attacker quickly changed tactics, aiming his shot gun at the young lad. He then fired, and missed.

"What the…!?" The attacker shrieked. This time he fired twice, both shots missed. Now, the attacker fired his weapon without stopping. The young boy countered this by simply zipping around the alley, and he didn't really worry about any serious damage to the walls. "DAMMIT, HOW FAST IS THIS BRAT!" The attacker bellowed. The boy then zoomed towards the attacker, before looking eye-to-eye with his objective.

"Gah! Back off!" The attacker barked, attempting to kick this crazy kid away, which said crazy kid simply flipped back. The attacker then growled. _This kid's not just fighting me; he's trying to humiliate me!_

"Getting cocky, huh!?" The attacker growled, before flicking his shotgun, shifting it into a long, single-sided blade. "I'M GUNNA MAKE YOU PAY, YOU LITTLE PUNK!" The attacker then charged forward, with his weapons ready to cut down the young lad. But this time, the boy didn't dodge; after all, the kid's got a duel-blade. He began to block both the buzz saw and the blade, with the attacker laughing with each strike. "Having some trouble now, aren't you kid? Once I'm done with you, the cops of this city are gonna need a lot a brain power to figure out who the hell you were!" The attacker then laughed, "That's what you get, makin' a fool outta me!"

"You say that like it's supposed to scare me, when you're the one who's making a fool of yourself." The boy retorted, as he then used his opponent's momentum to knock his weapons off hands and up towards the night sky.

"Wha-what the…" The attacker whimpered, as the boy retracted the blades of his weapon. He then let out a powerful roar, with his right fist cocked back. And before the attacker could figure out what was going on, the only thing he felt was a punch to his nose, as the sound of cracking could be heard before he hit the cruiser behind him. The last thing he saw before blacking out completely was the sight of the young boy giving him a little smirk.

* * *

"What do ya know, you've gone and done it again, kid." An officer then said. The boy smiled sheepishly in response.

"Sorry, I know I'm not legally allowed to do this stuff, but I just feel like I have to give something back to the city that raised me, you know?" The boy then said. The officer chuckled.

"Is that really what all this is about?" The officer said.

"That and I needed something to do once I got sick of visiting every arcade in this city." The boy responded. "I have to do something, right?" The officer laughed. But he then stopped once he got a glimpse at the now detained criminal being shoved into another police cruiser, preferably one that he couldn't steal.

"Listen, on a serious note, you've already done great things for Vale." The officer then stated. "I mean, this is the tenth guy you've booked. I'd say if it wasn't for your age, you'd make an excellent member of the VSRU."

"Thanks, but I'll have to decline for now." The boy answered. The officer let out a small sigh.

"Yeah, I know. Kids like you _would_ prefer doing it their own way." The officer then said. "Well, whatever your future brings you, I hope you find success. And should you ever change your mind…"

"Hey, I thought I already said I declined?" The boy said, feigning a whiny, spoiled brat. Something that elicited a laugh from the officer. "Well, time for me to go." The boy then said, he then waved good bye to the officer and began to walk away. But then, he heard a voice call out to him. He turned around to see a different officer, seemingly a rookie due to his more youthful appearance, calling out to him.

"Hey, if it isn't too much to ask, what is your name?" The young officer asked.

"You can call me, _**Rain**_."


	2. A Golden Boy and His Choice

Team RPTR Chapter 2

The time on the small, flat screen clock read 11:45 PM, but the bedroom was still brightly illuminated by the white lights on the ceiling. The white lights almost seemed to emphasize the sterile white and the curvy structure of the room's furniture. The resident of this bedroom, a fit, young man with spiky black hair and dark skin, was pacing around the room, trying his best to avoid bumping into anything that could fall and create a loud noise. Despite his massive wardrobe, the young man had decided to only wear a plain white undershirt and solid black boxers. Even though he knew the human body needs sleep and rest to function properly, his body just couldn't find a way to slow down to that point of unconsciousness. He wanted to sleep, for sure, but his eyes seemingly refused to grow fatigued in anyway. Granted, he wouldn't really have to worry about tomorrow, he was completely free that day. His father was the one who was busy.

World famous, millionaire, Oren Packer, the current CEO of Packer Foundations, a company well known for its groundbreaking research and use of advanced technologies. Granted, Oren could've been a billionaire or even a trillionaire had the company manufactured weapons and aided in military research, but the family seemed real satisfied with staying as millionaires. And the young man seemed to agree with his father's views on the company, besides one small aspect. But right now, the young man needed sleep; the clock now read 11:57. The young man decided to just lie down on his bed and wait for sleep to arrive eventually. He then walked towards the light switch located next to the door, tapping on the flat screen. As he did, the bright whites began to dim, before being replaced by a soft orange glow from seams on the walls. The young man began to cover himself with the bed sheets as he curled up slightly. He then closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Turns out, sleeping came a little easier than he thought.

* * *

The young man opened his eyes, his vision blurry at first, but soon the fuzziness of his vision quickly faded away as his clock read 9:21 AM. The young man began to remove the covers off his body, as he sat up on his bed. But before he could fully draw his senses back, four knocks came from the door.

"Peru?" A female voice asked. "Are you up?" Peru first rubbed his eyes, before stretching his arms and back.

"Yes." Peru replied, almost yawning as he spoke.

"Well, your father's making breakfast today." The female voice then stated. "Come on down, before it gets cold, okay dear?"

"I will, Mom." Peru answered. He then got up, shuffling his feet towards a drawer that was part of the wall. A light click could be heard as he lightly pushed the drawer inwards. The drawer the slid out, revealing sloppily stacked clothes. Peru then sighed.

_I guess today's the day I tell him._ Peru thought before grabbing a dark orange shirt and dark green long pants.

* * *

Peru walked down the spiral staircase, now wearing a bright orange beaning on his head, though he let some of his hair out to the side of his face. He then noticed his father cooking something that was making a sizzling popping sound at the stove, while his mother sat at the table reading a book. His father was a tall man, with dark hair and wore an apron over his plain clothing. His mother was actually shorter than Peru, and had dark hair that when to her neck before curling inwards.

"Good morning, Dad." Peru greeted. Oren turned his head to see Peru walking towards him.

"Good morning, son!" Oren then said, before giving Peru a warm hug. "You like what you smell?" Oren then asked. Peru took a whiff of the food on the frying pan, he didn't find it extraordinary, but he didn't find it terrible either.

"It smells nice." Peru responded, putting a smile on his father's face.

"Alright, I'm almost done." Oren said, "Just sit at the table and wait there with your mother." Peru complied, as he then sat at the table, on the opposite side of his mother. His mother was still fixated on the book she was reading.

"What book are you reading, Mom?" Peru then asked. His mother then looked away to look at her son.

"Oh, this?" She asked, pointing at her book. "Oh, it's just a book about the Faunus-Human war. Nothing you would really like."

"Oh." Peru responded. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, his mother loved to read about the history of Faunus and their struggles throughout the kingdoms. "Do you have any plans for today, Mom?" Peru then asked.

"I'm afraid, I'm a little busy today and tomorrow." The mother answered. Peru let out a slightly disappointed sound and he looked down at the table. Quickly noticing her son's expression, she then asks, "Why do you ask? Do you have any plans for the day?"

"Actually, I need to tell you guys something." Peru then stated. His mother had a slightly surprised expression at the response. But she dropped it quickly before calling for Oren. "Oren, can you come over here, honey?"

"How did you know I finished making breakfast, Angeri?"

"I didn't." Angeri replied, "Peru said he needs to tell us something." Oren then arrived with the food, placing three plates at the table.

"So, you said you need to tell us something?" Oren asked. Peru felt his stomach sink. But he figured he'd have to tell them quickly before they left for work. He then deeply inhaled, before letting it out in one long sigh.

"I want to enroll at Beacon Academy."

At first, no one said a word. Oren then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't fully catch what you said." Oren said, not even trying to hide the apprehension in his voice.

"I said, I want to enroll at Beacon." Peru repeated.

"Beacon Academy?" Angeri echoed. "Son, you do know Beacon Academy trains Huntsman, right?"

"Yes, I know." Peru stated. "I want to train to become a huntsman."

"But what about Packer Foundations?" Oren asked, "You're the only heir to the company! If you become a Huntsman, you might not be able to run the company!"

"I know, but truth be told," Peru paused for a moment; he had to be very careful with his next words. "I don't want to just be the son of millionaire: Oren Packer. I want to leave a mark of my own. And it's not like I'm forsaking the company completely. Once I finished my training, I'll come back and I'll run the company." Peru paused again. _I really hope I didn't make things worse._

"Dad, please don't take this as me being ungrateful." Peru quickly said. "I love that you have a future set for me when most kids have to forge one of their own. But one thing I have to do is to make sure I did something on my own. I don't want people to think the only good thing about me is the family name. So I beg you," Peru then got to his knees, with his head pointed down. "Please allow me to enroll at Beacon!"

Angeri let out a small sigh.

"Oren, I think he has a good point." She then said.

"As much as it pains me to say it, I agree." Oren responded. Peru was taken aback by this response. He had partial expected for his father to be enraged. "Even though I don't fully agree about the Huntsman part, we understand what you're talking about, Peru."

"Y-you do?" Peru asked.

"Yes, we do." Angeri replied. "When I married your father, I got a lot of backlash."

"Many in the industry accused your mother of marrying me for the family name." Oren stated.

"I mean, I wouldn't blame them, before I met your father, I was just a mere clerk at a library." Angeri then said.

"So we'll allow you to enroll at Beacon." Oren stated. But his expression shifted from understanding to serious, as he then eyed his son. "But do you have the credentials to enroll?"

"Y-yes!" Peru responded. "I graduated from Signal Academy, remember?"

"Yes, yes you did." Oren said. "Then do you still have your weapons? Do you remember how to use them?"

"Yes, my weapons are in the garage." Peru answered. "I haven't practiced with them for a little while, but I'm still pretty good with them."

"Well then, you better get ready soon." Oren said, "Beacon'll be in session in a few weeks."

"A few weeks?!" Peru yelled. "Then what are we doing? We better get going!" Peru then jumped to his feet, before dashing for the door. But he was stopped by Oren grabbing the back of his shirt collar.

"I'm afraid you'll have to do that on your own." Oren then said. "Your mother and I still have jobs to fulfill, son."

"Can you go through the process on your own, sweetie?" Angeri asked, with genuine concern in her voice.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Mom." Peru responded, with his face burning red with embarrassment.

"Then you have our blessing to enroll, son." Oren then stated. "Now, you better be quick about this. Any minute now, all the spots might be occupied." Peru's face then lit up like the sun, as he then ran towards the door.

"SON!" Oren then yelled, stopping Peru in his tracks.

"I was about to run off without the papers wasn't I?" Peru said, looking at his father with sheepish eyes. Peru was about to run up the flight of stairs, before he was stopped again by his father.

"Remember, if you need anything, your mother and father will be there for you." Oren then stated. Peru smiled.

"I know, and I won't let you down, Dad!"


	3. A White Fox Finds a Thrill

Team RPTR Chapter 3

It's been 3 months since Tara Frost, a young Faunus girl with short white hair, and her parents moved away from Vacuo, and the young girl still can't feel like she hasn't traded for the worst. In Vacuo, Tara spent her free time riding around the sand dunes with a rented dirt bike and viewing the local wildlife. Some were simple, like snakes and tortoises, while others were of the exotic and large variety. If she somehow grew bored with the dirt bike, she had the option to wrangle with and even ride said exotic beasts. Sure she may have gotten many bruises and cuts from doing so, but Tara gets a kick out of the thrill, something that still concerns her parents to this day. Meanwhile, in Vale; there are arcades and movie theaters, which Vacuo lacked, neither of which really catered to her liking. All it did was spark a desire to seek thrills that were real.

It didn't help that she is constantly ogled at by boys with certain preferences because her fox ears and tail make her look cute to their eyes. She can't really go anywhere around the city without someone mentioning her Faunus features and how cute they make her look. At first the attention was nice as most of it was positive, but after it happening every time she left the house, it got real annoying. She could easily hide her fox ears with a hat, bow, or pretending they're a decoration for a costume, but her large bushy tail would be hard to just tuck inside her pants convincingly. Tara then let out an exasperated sigh, whenever she looked back to her days living in Vacuo, she felt nostalgic sure, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little empty. With that Tara slumped in her bed, looking out her window to see the orange glow of the setting sun. At least the view in Vale far exceeds anything Vacuo could offer. Tara then stood up and starting getting dressed. Perhaps a stroll around the city could help distract her mind off Vacuo for a little while.

* * *

Tara was feeling a little underdressed for the stroll. As it turns out, short-shorts and a blue short jacket do very little to protect against cool evening breezes, probably because short-shorts and short jackets are meant for warm or hot climates. Never did Tara think she would actually miss the scorching heat of Vacuo, at least Vale was warmer than Atlas. Tara looked up to the sky; the warm orange was overtaken by a cold blue as the sun sunk lower beyond the horizon. Not that she could actually see the horizon with all the buildings surrounding her. The street lights soon flashed to life; illuminating the streets with their flat white glow. Tara had no watch with her at the moment, but she knew that it was getting late, and her parents would begin to worry, and she was not in the mood to deal with another lecture from them. Tara turned around to head back home, but not before being bumped by a hooded individual, who let out an irritated grunt before continuing his dash down the sidewalk. Normally, Tara would just apologize, despite the fact that the hooded guy bumped into her, but normal isn't the word Tara would use to describe what just happened.

For one, the speed at which the hooded figure was running could be enough to crash through a glass wall, and it seemed as if he was pushing himself to his limit. And secondly, when the figure collided with her, she had attempted to get a decent look of his face so she could apologize, but she could only catch a brief glimpse. From that brief glimpse however, she quickly realized that the person's whole face was covered, with tinted visors hiding his eyes and a cotton facemask to conceal the lower half of his face. It didn't seem like the person was sick, or else his full sprint would be very detrimental to his health. Plus why would a sick man wear a tinted visor? Tara shakes her head; it isn't exactly right to just protrude into the business of others, and even if it was suspicious, the city of Vale has an active police force which meant that all she would have to do is just let them handle business like their supposed. Tara simply turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. But then, she stops. Tara returns her gaze at the direction the shady man ran off to. And a little thought made its way to her head. At first the idea was small, mostly overshadowed by Tara's logical brain telling her to just go back to her parents and avoid getting grilled. But quickly, with the help of some burning curiosity, the idea gave Tara a reason to let out a slight chuckle. She might have finally found something in Vale she might like.

* * *

The hooded man ran through the alleys, running out of air in his lungs to use, she frantically searched the corners for something. He then dashed to a seemingly empty dead-end, where he began to call out in a panic.

"Guys!" The man yells. "I've got the thing! Let's split before the damn cops hop our butts!"

"Shut the hell up, Calo!" A voice harshly barked. Calo jumped at the voice before turning around to see a tall, hunk of a man with boar tusks jutting out from his mouth wearing a plain gray hoodie and a mask slowly make his way towards him. His eyes were exposed though, meaning Calo could clearly see the irritation in his face. "You'll wake up this whole damn neighborhood with your loud..."

"Betova." Another voice called out, much calmer than Betova's ranting. Both Betova and Calo shifted their attention to see three other men walking towards them. The two men on the side wore black hoodies with red stripes running down the center with their sleeves cut, exposing their arms. They also wore masks that covered the lower half of their faces, but they were made of a harder material than mere cloth. Another thing of note was the fact that their weapons were drawn. The one on the left-hand side wielded a black machete that had a trigger on the handle, with the one on the right wielding a small hatchet. The one at the center had no weapon on hand, and while the armed men had serious expressions on their faces, the man at the center was not only unmasked, he had a rather relaxed, or perhaps lazy smile on his face. He wore a white collared shirt with a red and black jacket, he wore deeply tinted sunglasses. "You really need to watch that behavior of yours if you don't want to piss off the boss." The man then said. Betova only grew more irritated.

"If you weren't my superior, you'd be burning in hell, Rouga." Betova growled. Rouga chuckled.

"And to think it's only been about two days since we first meet." Rouga replied. "We've been just the best of friends, haven't we?" Betova had nothing to say, only letting out a subtle groan that did not slip by Rouga's ears. But fortunately for Betova, Rouga shifted his gaze to Calo, dropping his smile. Calo immediately pulls out a small, glowing object wrapped in a piece of cloth from his back pocket. Rouga's smile then returns as he then beckons for Calo to give him said item. Calo nervously, but hastily makes his way towards Rouga.

"H-here." Calo says weakly. Rouga quickly snatches the glowing object from the young man's hands. He holds the object up, before unwrapping the cloth, revealing a small crystal illuminating a bright orange glow like that of the sunset.

"A Dust fragment. It's so hard to believe that this little thing could hold so much power." Rouga then stated. He then places the small object inside his jacket. He then returns his gaze towards Betova. "I hope the device is complete. I know tasks that can't be solved by brute force may be too much for you but sometimes, you must leave your comfort zone, Betova." Betova tightened his fists, trying very hard to not be provoked by Rouga's insult, something he was failing very hard.

"It's already finished." Betova growled, "You'll have your chaos. For now, just shut your damn mouth and get ready."

"I'm sorry, did I just hear you guys talk about chaos?" A female voice called out. The four of the five men swiftly shifted their gaze to see Tara, leaning against the corner. The guards immediately pointed their weapons at the young girl, while Betova drew a rectangular mace from his back. Rouga's face was still relaxed.

"Who the hell are you?" Betova barked. Tara began to walk towards the five men, before leaning forward, noticing Betova's tusks.

"Hey, are you a Faunus?" Tara then asked, her voice sounding very jovial, almost too jovial. "I just noticed your cute, little pig tusks. Hey, is it hard for you to eat with those teeth?" Betova let out a puff of steam from his nostrils, all the while glaring his teeth which almost seemed to shimmer. Tara put her hands in front of her. "Hey, calm down buddy. Sheesh."

"Listen little girl." Betova snarled, "I've been having a real bad day, but I'm willing to let you go scot-free."

"But what about the chaos you were talking about?" Tara then asked. "And what were you guys talking about when you mentioned a 'device'?" The muscles in Rouga's face immediately began to tighten, while the rest of the gang widened their eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Betova barked.

"I mean, I'm definitely one for some chaos, but something tells me your chaos is not about having fun. Am I telling the truth?" Tara then asked. Her smile still remained, but any jovial atmosphere had been completely thrown out the window and she began to glare at the gang with a smug look of satisfaction in her eyes. "And let me just say, big guy, Betova, was it?" Tara asked. "What's so fun about being a simple, dimwitted meathead whose only real satisfaction comes from scaring some twig? Someone who's so stupid that they think they're the big guy around town when in reality, they're just some poor loser who probably couldn't get a stable job?"

At the point, Betova snapped, he rushed forward. Moving so fast, he crushed the ground below him with his inertia. He held his mace up high, ready to crush the little girl into a mushy red paste. He would not only be letting off steam after all the insults he's had to deal with, but he would also get rid of a loose end to their plan. He continued charging forward, but suddenly, his feet were losing its grip with the ground, like he was skating on ice. Betova began to slip, losing his balance completely. The only reason he didn't fall to the ground initially was because the side of his chest had been struck by the flat end of a tonfa. Betova dropped his weapon, when he looked to see where he had been hit, he saw Tara, now armed with a pair of tonfas. And she was far from finished with her barrage. She unleashed a flurry of blows to the brute's stomach, his eyes widening with each strike. Tara then jumped above the man, before curling into a ball and spinning down towards the brute. She then uncoils herself before slamming her tonfas down on Betova's head, sending his face to the now icy ground below. His feet were still in the air when he was knocked out.

"What the hell! Did this kid just take out Betova?!" Calo screamed. Rouga then gestured for the young man to calm down, something that Calo failed to do. Rouga walked forward a bit.

"You've got skill, and strength." Rouga stated. "Where' you from?" Tara lips curled into a prideful smirk.

"Vacuo." Tara answered. Rouga began to smirk, letting a small chuckle.

"That explains so much." Rouga then said. He then lifted his right arm. His two guards moving to his side. "Ajax." The guard with the hatchet readied himself. "Chemeto." The guard with the machete readied himself. "Don't underestimate her." Wasting no time, the two guards rushed towards Tara with murder flashing in their eyes. Tara raises her tonfas in a defensive stance. The icy ground she had made was clearly not affecting these two. Chemeto slashed at Tara's feet while Ajax aims his hatchet for Tara's head. Tara dodges both attacks before whacking the two guards in the face with her tonfas. But Ajax recovers quickly, as he then swings his hatchet towards Tara's abdomen. Tara manages to parry the strike, lodging the blade of the hatchet in between her tonfas. She then yanks the hatchet out of Ajax's hand, before tossing the hatchet aside. Tara's arm then begins to emit a white mist, before her tonfas are completely covered in a thick layer of ice! She then swings her tonfa down onto Ajax's head, knocking him straight to the ground below, shattering the ice and cracking the ground below. Before Tara could catch her breath, Chemeto swung his machete wildly at Tara's head and arms. Using the ice on the ground, Tara then glided back further down the alleyway, allowing her some distance from the enraged guard. Chemeto then swung his weapon to his side, as he pressed the trigger. Suddenly, a rush of black energy burst out from the machete, as the black metal of the blade began to flicker with black lightning. Tara had wondered what the trigger was for, but also managed to notice that Chemeto was actually struggling to hold his grip. But before she could make a move, Chemeto dashes forward, with his machete raised high. Again, Tara glides on the icy ground, but she is then knocked off her feet, as the ground below her erupts upward from the blow of Chemeto's strike.

Tara is then knocked to a wall, before bouncing off, her mouth wide open, but unable to cry out due to both the shock and the pain. But Chemeto wasn't planning on giving Tara a breather, as he then slammed the blade onto the girl's stomach. The force of which knocks the air out of Tara's lungs. Chemeto then began to spin, with his machete still on Tara's chest. Using his momentum, Chemeto then swings Tara into the air! But before Tara could even begin to fall back down, Chemeto leaps a great height, higher and faster than Tara! He then readies his weapon again, before swinging down on Tara's back. The attack sends Tara tumbling down to the alleyway below. The force of the impact was strong enough to leave Tara in a small crater, but she wasn't dead yet.

Even though every fiber of her body was feeling nothing but pain, she had managed to survive the attack with her bones intact. Now it was time for her to get back to her feet. But her first attempt only leaves her in a more agonizing pain than before.

"Ow." Tara weakly says, even though it meant nothing to both her and her attacker, who was currently making his way towards the downed girl.

"You managed to survive my strongest move." Chemeto then said. "I'll have to admit, that's pretty nifty."

"Thanks." Tara half-heartedly responds, before grasping her stomach. Chemeto went in a little closer.

"It's a shame; a part of me doesn't want to kill you." Chemeto then states. "A girl with skill and strength to spare is some muscle we could definitely use." Chemeto then raises his machete up high, its sharp end aimed straight for Tara's heart. "But a job's a job." He then states, before shoving the blade downwards. But to Chemeto's surprise, the blade doesn't pierce through Tara's flesh, as instead, the blade is now lodged in-between Tara's tonfas. The two then begin to wrestle with the blade, with Chemeto pushing the blade closer to Tara's chest, as the metal of both weapons scrapping and spark off one another. Chemeto then places both hands on the hilt of the machete, as Tara struggles with the blade, which inches closer and closer to her heart.

Then, using all her remaining strength, Tara raises her legs before aiming them at Chemeto's stomach. And before Chemeto could realize what was going on, he feels a sharp and painful sensation right in his gut, making him walk back, grasping his stomach and crouching down. When he looked up, he was greeted by the sight of Tara back on her feet, bruised and battered, shaking and even bleeding, but still up.

"Damn." Chemeto then said, "You're a whole lot tougher than I thought-" Chemeto didn't get to finish, as Tara had fired an ice bullet from her tonfas, right at her opponent's chest, sending him flying back and knocking him out embedded in a sheet of ice. Tara then let out a long sigh, just as she collapsed to the ground again. She then searched her pockets to find her scroll, a flat piece of tech that has multiple features, only to find it cracked in two, uneven chunks.

"So much for calling the cops afterwards." Tara then whined, before limply dropping her scroll to her side. "Crap, that twig and that _shades_ guy ran off." Tara weakly blurted out. She then begins to hear the sounds of sirens, rapidly approaching her location. Tara lifted her head from the ground to see a group of five members of the Vale Police Force as they pick up the unconscious gang members. Tara lets out a small chuckle for the small amount of convenience that she just witnessed. But her small smirk was dropped when a sudden realization arose in her head. She was not going to enjoy what her parents are going to say to her after all this.


	4. The Magenta Shadow

Team RPTR Chapter 4

The booming music of the dance floor was barely suppressed by the walls of the Xiong Night Club. Had there been any residential homes, they would most likely go insane with the lack of sleep. But luckily for the night club's owner, Hei Xiong, known affectionately by his employees as "Junior", he won't have to worry about complaints from the kind people of Vale. The patrons of the Xiong Night Club don't just go there for mere dancing and drinking, a fact that has drawn the attention of a skilled individual. A young man with dark magenta hair, tied in a ponytail, wearing a buttoned up dark magenta jacket and black long pants, strolls up to the front of the establishment. Two bouncers stood next to the doors. The young man walks up to the two guards, who immediately push him back.

"Without the weapon, sir." The bouncer on the left said, keeping his hand raised. The young man simply let out a small chuckle, before turning back and walking off. But he doesn't go far, as he makes a beeline towards the bouncers. The bouncers attempt to draw their weapons, but both are swiftly knocked out by swift and powerful punches from the young man's fists. The young man looks around, before dragging both unconscious bodies to the side of the building, right next to the club's garbage bin. He then walks to the entrance, opening the unlocked doors, and making his way inside.

* * *

The bright flash of colors and the loud sounds that passed for music was something that the young man did not enjoy, but thankfully, he wasn't here for to dance. He sets his sights on a big, burly, bearded man leaning over the bar counter. He was talking to a red-haired man wearing a white suit with a stylish hat and cane, and from the looks of the conversation, neither were happy about something. The young man slowly made his way closer to the two, where he was able to somewhat hear what the two were saying.

"I'm telling you Roman, this new guy's some serious trouble." The bearded man stated, sweat sliding down his face.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Roman then asks.

"This guy's already taken over the Skull Breakers and the Snatchers." The bearded man then said.

"Those two are nothing compared to me, why the hell should I care?" Roman demands.

"Because this guy's wiped out the Lucky 50s, Dragon Cross, and the Hell Riders!" The bearded man yelled. This news causes the red-head to back up for a moment.

"The Lucky 50?" Roman asks. The bearded man simply nods. "Dragon Cross and the Hell Riders too?" Again, the bearded man nods. The red-head tightens his grip on his cane. "Those three are under my protection, how have I never heard about this before? And how do you know in the first place?"

"I know because the lunatic sent his guys over to show me his damn trophies!" The bearded man exclaims, his sweat now being mixed with tears. "That's why I didn't want to see you right now!" Roman begins to walk away from the bar counter. "Where are you going?" The bearded man calls out.

"I'm going out to fix this mess." Roman growled. "You think I'm gonna let some wannabe bastard take over my city?! Once I'm done with him, I'll make him regret he was ever born!" After those words, Roman walked towards the back of the building.

Hearing all that, the young man takes this opportunity to move towards the bearded man. The young man then taps the big guy's shoulder. The big guy yelps as he swiftly turns around to see the young man standing right next to him.

"W-what do you want?" The bearded man asks, his voice shaking with fear.

"I'm here for information." The young man says.

"If this is about the lunatic, you're outta luck." The bearded man replies. "I know jack and squat."

"I wouldn't bother playing dumb." The young man ordered. The bearded man withdrew; the young man could see his clothing grow moister with sweat. The young man then sat on the seat next to the bearded man. The bartender then walks over.

"I'll have the usual." The young man said. The bartender nodded, before heading to the back. The bearded man was then struck by a realization.

"Wait, you've been here before?" He asks.

"Your club happens to be very popular, Mr. Xiong." The young man replies. "Or would you prefer it if I called you Junior?" The bartender returns, holding a glass containing a clear, fizzing drink. The bartender places the glass on the counter, before attending to other matters.

"Look, I told you," Junior states. "I don't know anything about this guy, other than what he wants me to know." The young man replies to this redundant reply with a loud gulp, as the drink leaves the glass and down the man's throat.

"So what has this man told you?" The young man asks, growing more and more impatient.

"THAT HE'S A PSYCO WHO WIPES OUT ANYONE IN HIS WAY! THAT'S WHAT I GET FROM THIS GUY! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT TO HEAR!?" Junior shrieks. The young man simply sighed. He then finished the rest of his drink in one fast motion, before slamming the glass on the counter. He would've shattered the glass had he slammed the glass any harder, as cracks formed on both glass and counter.

"It seems your reputation exceeds you, Junior." The young man then says, before leaving his seat and walking back to the front entrance. But he then stops, before turning his head to face the bearded man once. "You should really avoid any more encounters with criminals, Mr. Xiong. Or else, you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble." Junior face then twitched.

"Did you just threaten me?" Junior demanded.

"Consider it a warning, a disincentive." The young man replies. With that, he was done. But Junior was far from finished.

"You better get back here right now." Junior barks. The young man stops, he then turns around and stares back at Junior "You really think I'm nothing, huh? Well maybe I'll just show you why people don't mess with me, you pink-haired, son of a…"

"Whoa, what's going on here?" A young female voice calls out. Both Junior and the young man break their eye lock to stare at girl with lilac eyes and bright gold hair that went to her hips. She wore brown jacket, with the top unbuttoned to reveal a low-cut yellow shirt underneath, as well as black mini-shorts and brown boots. Another thing of notice was the bright yellow bracelets on her wrists. The girl then walks up to the two, with a nonchalant expression and stride. She then points at Junior.

"Wait, are you really Junior?" She then asks. "I figured a guy called Junior would be a pipsqueak, but you the complete opposite."

"I'm gonna stop you right there, sweetheart." Junior then barks. "You really have no place being here." The young man then inches forward.

"What are you doing here?" The young man then asks, the confidence was now gone, replaced entirely with unease. The girl responds with a confused look.

"What am I doing here? I should be the one asking that question." The girl states.

"You really shouldn't be here." The young man declared. The blondie simply chuckled.

"Who are you, my dad?" The girl responds. "I came to this club because I wanted to try out the Strawberry Sunrise. And ask Junior about a few things." Junior groaned before heading to the dance floor, just hoping to find a way out.

"What? Was it something I said?" The girl asked. "Hey! Junior! Wait for me!"

"No! Stop!" The young man cried out. But his warning was drowned out by the dance floor beats, and the girl continued in her casual pursuit of the club owner. Once she caught up, Junior simply growled.

"Go away. I don't have time to deal with brats." Junior declares. Words that clearly meant nothing to the blondie, as she continued to pressure the bearded man.

"Hey come on, Junior." The girl said. "Hey, look at me. I just want to ask you one thing."

"One more word and you'll be leaving this building in a lot of pain!" Junior barked. The blonde girl was taken aback by this.

"Junior, come on." The girl says, "You didn't have to say that, I was just asking for some info."

"I can't tell if you're being a dumbass or suicidal." Junior replies. "Either way, you're pissing me off!" Without warning, Junior unveils a blood-red machete with shocking speed. He then swings the blade down towards the girl! She barely noticed the blade when Junior first revealed it, and was not fast enough to dodge. She simply puts her arms up in front of her and braced for the strike.

Then, a piercing clang broke through the garish music, silencing the entire club. Everyone, including the girl, focused their sights to see the young man, who had somehow managed to traverse the distance from the front of the building to the dance floor, holding back Junior's crimson blade with his very own silver long sword with a broad blade and a round magenta jewel embedded just above the hilt. Shocked cries echo throughout the building, small sparks began to fly as the metal blades grinded upon one another. Junior had not moved from his position, which allowed the young man to shove Junior back with enough force to slam him through a glass pillar. The glass pillar shatters as shards flew everywhere as the frightened patrons screamed and ran out the front door, pushing and barking at each other. The music finally stopped, as several men, dressed in black and red, brandishing crimson blades of their own, surrounded the young man.

"You're gonna regret that, kid!" One of the guards barked. But before he could do anything, the guard was struck in the face by the young man's knuckles, sending him reeling back in pain. The other guards attempted to retaliate, but the young man's speed was far too much for them to react to, as they were taken down one by one. One guard had managed to slash at the young man, but the guard's blade was deflected by a powerful swing of the young man's blade, not only knocking the blade out of the guard's hand, but also creating a shockwave from the impact. The young man then pressed a small button on his weapon.

"_**Gun Mode-Rapid Shot**_" A monotone voice from the weapon could be heard, as the weapon began to shift with many clicks and clanks. The center of the blade split open, revealing a long barrel sandwiched in-between the metal. The handle shifted from a straight position to an angled position. He then took aim, and then he fired.

The weapon fired rapid bursts of bullets at the guards, though he was not actually aiming at anyone. Instead, he was forcing them the guards back with suppressing fire. Most of the guards did retreat to cover, but five guards managed to break through the barrage and charged towards the young man. The young man then pressed another small button.

"_**Hybrid Mode-Single Shot**_" The weapon's handle returned to the straight position, but the blade was still open. Two of the five guards immediately attacked, but both strikes were intercepted. The third guard dashed towards the young man, but the young man simply aims his weapon and fires. The bullet hits the guard's blade, knocking it out of his hand and knocking the guard off his feet. A fourth guard thrusts his blade forward, an attack that the young man dodges, before wrapping his right arm around the guard's, locking said guard in place. The fifth guard goes in for an attack, but every attack is parried by the young man's weapon. He then kicks the fifth guard away, before swinging the fourth guard into the third guard who had tried to catch the young man off guard, knocking both out cold. The first, second, and fifth guards all grouped up, but before the young man could deal with them, the rest of the guards return after realizing they were no longer being fired upon. Suddenly, a loud yell roared from behind the young man. When he turned to look back, he could see Junior, now armed with a massive red and black club, above him ready to crush him. The young man manages to dodge, but nearly losing his balance as the force of the club's impact shook the ground. When the young man regained focus, he looked up to see Junior, reinforced by a small army of guards, creating a sea of black and red amidst the club's white.

"See? This is what happens when you deal with me!" Junior boasted, with a cocky smile stretched on his lips. The young man didn't respond, all he did was return to his feet. He then brought his weapon over his shoulder. Junior growled for a moment, before shifting from frustration and anger to bemusement and amusement. "Hahahaha!" Junior laughed, "You still think you can take me and my men?" As if on cue, every single guard readied their weapons, echoes of clicks filled the room.

"Just shut the hell up, Junior." The young man said. He then entered a battle stance, as a click indicating a primed weapon. Junior tightened his grip on his club, as he then prepared to rush towards the young man. But before he could say anything, a young girl's yell could be heard from behind the army of guards. Before anyone knew what was happening, the blonde girl leaped over the guards, landing in-between Junior and the young man. Once she got to her feet, she daringly pointed her finger at Junior and his guards.

"Hey, jerk-heads!" The blonde girl shouted. "You better not have forgotten about me!"

"Wha-why are you still here?!" The young man yelled.

"You saved my life." The girl stated. "I can't in good conscious leave you here with all these idiots." The girl then turned her head to then face the young man. "This'll make us even." The girl then turned back to face her enemies. He then whips her arms out, as she did, her yellow bracelets extended into gauntlets. She then entered a boxing stance, before dashing forward towards Junior. Junior raised his club up to swing. But before he could even move the massive club back, he was struck at his sides, as the girl threw haymaker after haymaker. Her barrage was only stopped when a guard swung his blade down at her, which she easily dodged. She retaliated by punching the guard in the face, knocking him out immediately. Two more guards swung their blades at the girl, which she avoided by jumping back. But the rest of the guards were far from finished, as they then charged forward. The girl then entered a defensive stance, but suddenly, the young man abruptly appeared in front of her. The young man then swung his weapon at the guards, knocking a majority of them, including Junior, back like they were trees hit by a tidal wave. The rest of the guards still rushed towards the two. The girl effortlessly handled the guards that rushed her, and the young man was knocking away groups of guards with a single swing of his blade. Soon, all the guards were knocked out cold, leaving only Junior standing. Both the young man and the girl slowly made their way towards the bearded man. But before they reach him, Junior then calls out in desperation.

"Melanie! Miltia! Damn those two. Come out here and tear these bastards to pieces!" Junior then moved back. Before the two young fighters could make their move, they then heard a door open on their left. Two ornately garbed young girls, one red and armed with claws, one white and armed with sharpened heels, calmly walked out.

"Hmm, you'd think he'd call us out earlier. Melanie" The girl in red stated.

"Well you know the guy Miltia, sometimes he doesn't think straight." The girl in white responded. Miltia then turned to look at Junior, while pointing at the two fighters.

"So, I'm guessing you meant these two, right boss?" She then asked, not dropping the lazed tone in her voice.

"YES!" Junior hollered, "Who do you think I'm referring to!?" The two girls then sighed.

"Now, how should we go about this, sis?" Miltia then asked. Melanie then smirked, as she then pointed at the blonde girl.

"You can take the bimbo." Melanie stated. "The hottie's mine."

"Bimbo?!" The girl shrieked, before rushing Melanie with merciless punching barrages. Miltia simply looked at her sister and chuckled.

"Looks like the hottie's mine." Miltia then said. She then calmly made her way towards the young man. Said young man immediately entered a battle stance, which made the girl laugh. "Gosh, you're so serious." Miltia then assessed the young man, but he noticed that the girl was not assessing him combat wise. "Both sis and I knew that you were a hottie when you first entered, but now that I'm seeing you all up close, you are a definitely catch. Let me ask, are you still single?" The young man did not reply with words, instead he replied with a swift strike from his weapon, which Miltia easily parried. "I'll take that as a yes."

The blonde girl had not managed to land a single punch, as Melanie had dodged, blocked, or parried every single strike from the girl. Melanie giggled as her opponent grew more and angrier with every failed attack.

"Man, why did Miltia get to play with the cutie? All I have to play with is this dumb blonde." Melanie then said.

"The hell did you just call me?!" The blonde growled.

"You heard me, dumb blonde." Melanie repeated, with her smile remaining firm on her face. "Or maybe 'dumb blonde' is too kind for you." Melanie then said. She then began to ponder as she blocked punch after punch with her legs. "How about 'Golden Simpleton'?" She then shook her head. "No, that sounds too positive." She continued to ponder before kicking the blonde girl in the stomach, pushing her back to a wall, kicking up dust. "Oh, I got it." Melanie then said, "What do you think of 'Piss Head'?" The blonde girl responded with a great big holler, blowing away the dust that formed around her. Melanie giggled. "See, I knew you'd love it." But her smile immediately dropped, as she noticed the blonde girl's hair began to glow a bright, fiery gold. When she opened her eyes, her lilac eyes were no longer there. In their place were burning red eyes. The blonde girl then charged at Melanie.

Miltia had found herself in a bit of a conundrum, she had fully expected to play with her prey, but the young man was actually holding himself rather well. In fact, the young man was actually pushing her back, forcing her to her limits. Miltia knew that she wasn't as strong as her sister, something hurt her pride greatly, but that gap in strength was marginal at most. The fact that the young man was not only handling her, but handling her with ease, was starting to concern her. But then to her surprise, he had stopped his advance.

"I'm done dealing with you." The young man then said. Miltia needed a second to process what he had just said. "Take your sister, and leave. I know you don't have any loyalty to Junior."

"Wh-do you know what's coming out of your mouth right now?" Miltia then asked.

"I know enough that this fight is pointless." The young man answered. He then made his way towards the blonde girl, but he was stopped by Miltia slashing her claws at the young man's face. She missed, but the gesture was clear enough.

"You know, you were actually kind of scary when you fought." Miltia said, "But now, you've made it my mission to piss you off." The young man pressed a button on his weapon.

"_**Blade Mode**_"

Without any warning, Miltia was staring face-to-face with the young man. The two were so close that Miltia could swear she could see the young man's skull through his eyes. And from there, she could feel this crushing coldness emanating from the young man. Miltia quickly jumped back, and for the first time in a long time, she shivered. The young man then turned his attention towards Melanie, who was still dodging the strikes from the blonde girl, albeit with a bit more difficulty. Suddenly, the young man appeared in-between the two girls, blocking the blonde's punch with his blade.

"What the-" Melanie stuttered. The blonde girl was still fuming from another failed shot.

"Hey! Whose side are you on…!?" The blonde barked, just before being smacked atop the head by the young man's fist.

"You're letting yourself be provoked. Any longer and your anger would've killed you." The young man stated.

"Owww… Hey, what the hell is that to you?!" The blonde yelled, now calmed down after taking a breath, "My Semblance would've…"

"Your Semblance is not an excuse." The young man retorted. "Now go." The young man then turned to face Melanie. "You're out of your league here." The blonde could not believe what she was just told.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" The blonde asked. "Is your ego so big that you think you can take these two all on your-" The young man simply shot a glare at the blonde girl. She immediately shut up after that and she stepped of the dance floor. Melanie was now joined by Miltia, both were shaken up by what they had just saw.

"W-you think you can take us both on?" Miltia stuttered. The young man said nothing. He only readied his blade and pointed at the sisters.

"Try me." Was all he said. The sisters then dropped to their knees in sheer shock. The young man then placed his weapon on his back, before making his way towards Junior. The bearded man was frantic in his escape attempt, but every time he thought he had a straight exit, he was halted by the young man. Eventually, the young man grabbed Junior by his shirt, before making his way to the front door.

The doors burst open as Junior was thrown outside. He scrapped on the ground, ripping up his clothes and scratching his skin. Junior then tried crawling away from the young man. But the young man didn't even need his shocking speed to catch up to the lumbering man. He then picked Junior up by the back of his collar. At this point, Junior was whimpering, as he begged for mercy from the young man. But the young man wasn't able to do anything, as the sounds of police sirens could be heard making their way towards the clubhouse. Once the Vale Special Response Unit arrived, the young man dropped Junior to the ground. As officers rushed out of their vehicles and into the building, Junior ran towards the commanding officer, frantically screaming to give him protection. The commanding officer simply threw the big man to two other officers who immediately restrained him.

"Are you the one responsible for this incident?" The commanding officer asked. The young man simply nodded. The officer chuckled, as he then ordered for Junior to be cuffed. The officer then took notice of the blonde girl, looking a bit glum, probably because she was being escorted out the building by two officers.

"Now you, you just look like some trouble maker to me." The officer stated. He then walked towards the blonde girl with cuffs in hand, but was then stopped by the young man.

"No, this girl may have been part of the incident, but she's not part of Junior's organization." The young man then said. The blonde girl's face then lit up. But the officer shook his head.

"Sorry, besides you, we've got to detain all those involved in this incident."

"Wait what?!" The blonde girl screamed. "How come he gets a free pass while I get the book thrown at me?" The officer ignored her initially, as he then confiscates her gauntlets and replacing them with the handcuffs.

"Young lady, what is your name?" The officer then asked.

"Yang Xiao Long, officer." An infuriated Yang answered.

"Well, Miss Xiao Long. The man with the free pass is none other than the one they call Raptor." The realization crashed down on Yang harder than a train crashing onto a rocky cliff.

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait!" Yang stuttered. "Raptor? As in scary deadly former hitman, Raptor? That Raptor?!"

"Yep, that's him right there." The officer answered, pointing towards him as he oversaw Junior's detainment. Every time Junior even glanced at Raptor, he yelped and begged for the officers to hurry up and put him in to a cell. Yang had yet to pick her jaw from the floor. It wasn't until the officer grabbed her arm to escort her to another police cruiser.

"Wait, wait! I need to talk to Raptor! Wait, you gotta wait! Let me say something to Raptor!" Yang begged. Even though she could easily free herself from the commanding officer's grip, she really didn't want to be in any more trouble.

"You said you had something to say?" Raptor then said. Yang yelped at the sudden appearance of the young hitman, though she wasted no time on what she had to say.

"You have to teach me how to do the things you did!" Yang blurted out.

"Sorry, I'm a fighter, not a teacher." Raptor responded. Yang's jaw dropped again, as Raptor turned his attention to the officer.

"I guess it's time for you to go." The officer said, to which Raptor nodded in response.

"Thank you for keeping his city safe, Officer Vlare." Raptor said, before turning away and vanishing in the darkness.

"That guy is impossible to read, sir." An officer stated.

"Yeah, he can definitely be that way sometimes." Vlare replied.


	5. The Thief, the Boy, and Trouble

Team RPTR Chapter 5

The night was glistening with the moonlight blue, no one wanted to disrupt the serenity of it all. But one man had his own interests in mind. Roman Torchwick, a tall, slender man wearing a white coat with black cane and a stylish bowl hat with a white feather on the side on top his strong orange hair, sauntered down the street with a small gang of armed men. Civilians moved out of his way, hoping to avoid being the poor souls of which he had targeted. Which were better for Roman, the crowd, even though small and not dense at all, were decent human shields from the cops. Usually, Roman would simply find a bank, or a dust shot and intimidate those inside to get what he wants, but tonight was different. The location he set his sights on was a seemingly small flower shop belonging to a young woman. Roman entered the store, a small jingle from a bell signaling his entrance.

"Welcome." A young woman with dark red hair greeted as she appeared out from a door behind the counter carrying a box of flower pots. But upon seeing Roman, the woman lets out a startled gasp, as she drops the flower pots. The box bursts open as the shattered remains of the flower pots pop out. "Mr. Torchwick. Can I help you with anything?" The woman asks.

"I'm here for information, and you're gonna give it to me." Roman then ordered.

"Mr. Torchwick, sir, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by information." The woman replied, trying desperately hard and failing to not sound suspicious.

"Cut the crap, Julis." Roman barked. "Now, I've heard whispers that some of my gangs are planning on ditching me for the new guy on the block." Julis gulped. "So tell me, are you also gonna follow this trend? Or would you prefer to stay alive? If it's the latter, the give me names of those that want to leave." Roman demanded. Julis simply took in a deep breath. She was sweating; her body grew tenser by the minute.

"I'm sorry, but I'm done being under your foot." Julis then stated. She then quickly draws a pistol, but she couldn't fire a single shot before one of Roman's men fired his own weapon. The bullet struck Julis on the shoulder, pushing her down to the floor. Roman then made his way towards her.

"Now, let's try this again." Roman said. "Give me names, or somewhere in this city, two little girl's will be sleeping by the sewer exits. Which one will it be, Julis?"

The sound of a gunshot blasted through the streets, before a bullet shatters through the glass window, straight towards Roman. Roman managed to deflect the bullet, before looking out to see who had dared to shoot at him. Just outside the store stood a hooded figure, armed with a duel blade, with the barrel still smoking from the shot. Roman growled.

"It's you, isn't it?" Roman then asked. "The kid playing superhero." The hooded figure simply smirked, right before dashing forward with such speeds that his cloak looked as if it was floating in place.

"What the- where'd he go?" One of the men blurted out. But before an answer was given, he was promptly struck in the jaw by a swift haymaker. The previously hooded figure then revealed himself to Roman and his remaining lackeys.

"Damn, you're tougher than you look kid." Roman then stated. "Who the hell are you anyway?" The young boy turned around to face the criminals, with his smirk still on his face.

"I'm just a kid who's sick of your actions. You can call me _**Rain**_." Roman chuckled at the remark.

"You know, you had me somewhat shaken at first." Roman responded, "But then you decided to open, and now," Roman then gestured for his men to surround Rain. "I'm just irritated." Roman's remaining men then charged the young boy, but any attempt at an attack only ended with the goons hitting the ground, face-first and out cold. Rain then returned his gaze back at Roman, smirk still remaining. "And this is what happens when you don't pay the right people." Roman mumbled to himself. Rain then pointed his blade at the criminal. Roman then sighed.

"You ready to give up, Torchwick?" Rain then asked.

"You know something, kid." Roman then said. "I wasn't just going out to rob some little dump of a flower shop for fun. I'm looking for someone. Someone who I've been told is a psycho."

"Funny, I had a similar thought in my head." Rain replied. "You were trying to draw someone out."

"Disappointed that it's not you?" Roman then asked. Rain didn't drop the smirk on his face, but it wasn't as noticeable as it was before.

"No, but I can still play the part." Rain responded, before rushing towards Roman with his blade ready to attack. Roman managed to block the strike with ease.

_He's fast._ Rain then thought, before blocking a swing from Roman's cane. _And he packs a hard punch._ Rain then attacked with a flurry of thrusts, all of which were blocked by Roman and his cane. All but one, as Roman then felt a small scratch cut the criminal's right cheek. _That'll rile him up._ Rain thought.

_This little shit._ Roman growled internally. _He really thinks he can take me down with a bunch of thrusts and cuts?_ Roman then countered all the thrusts with a swift yet strong strike to Rain's gut, before hitting the kid's face with his fist. Rain stumbled back for a moment. But not before noticing Roman wipe at the scratch with his thumb.

"Lucky shot." Roman growled. He then aimed the bottom end of his can, which opened up with a light click, before firing a red blast at Rain. The young boy is able to cut the blast in two, but before he could react, he is then bombarded by a mixture of light blasts and cane swipes. Now on the defensive, Rain attempts to gain some distance from Roman, but the criminal caught on to what the boy was doing, and immediately closed the gap between the two.

"You know what kid; you've given me quite the trouble!" Roman yelled as he swiftly swung his can. "But that crap ends now!" Roman then raised his cane high, ready to swing it down on Rain's head. Whether it knocked him out or cracked his skull didn't matter to him. But then, Roman felt his cane fly out of his grip, before hearing it land to his right. When he and Rain looked at where the can went, they noticed a burning hole on the side of the cane, still smoking from whatever had struck it.

"Now what?" Roman growled. The two then looked at the opposite direction, there they saw a young, petite girl, wearing a black gothic dress and a long hooded cape dyed with the world's brightest shade of red. But that wasn't the most eye-catching aspect of her, that honor belonged to the girl's massive red and black scythe, anchored down on the pavement, a stream of smoke rising from a hole on its top. This sight did nothing to faze Roman. "Great, I have to deal with another brat way past their bed time." Ignoring this remark, the young girl began twirling her massive scythe before positioning it on her back.

"So you're the master thief terrorizing Vale." The girl then said. Roman simply growled in response. But Rain began to worry.

"Wait, who are you?" Rain then asked. But before he could get an answer, he was stuck by a hard haymaker on his jaw, obviously from Roman's fist.

"I seriously don't have time to deal with." Roman then said. He then focused his sights on the young girl in-front him. He then dashed towards his can, which the girl took as an opportunity to charge forward. Unfortunately for her, Roman had hoped for this outcome, as he immediately struck the girl on her stomach sending her reeling back. "Wow. You are seriously green at this." Roman then stated. The girl recovered quickly, shaking her head and returning her sights on Roman. Then with no hesitation, the girl attacks the criminal with her scythe. Roman managed to block the attacks, but quickly noticed that while the scythe was massive, it was rather light for its size. This made it a lot easier for Roman to parry the girl's strikes, leading to him hitting the girl with a blow strong enough to send her back.

"Roman!" Rain then yelled, shifting Roman's focus. Though unfortunately for Rain, Roman never forgot about Rain, as he easily dodged a slash from the young boy's blade. Roman then parried another strike from the boy, but quickly noticed something different.

_Funny, the kid's attacking harder than before._ Roman thought, as he continued to parry or dodge Rain's strikes. Rain then goes for a horizontal strike, so Roman positions his cane to parry appropriately. Roman parried the first strike, but he couldn't parry the second strike, a vertical slash that actually manage to cut open the criminal's coat. Roman then attempted to rectify by shifting the position of his cane, but he may have repositioned too quickly, as the momentum from Rain's second attack caused the third strike to knock Roman's cane farther up. Now unable to properly defend himself, Roman can only brace himself against Rain's fourth attack. But that strike never happened, as the young girl suddenly appeared above Rain, ready to bring her scythe down on Roman's head. Seeing this, Rain slips and whiffs his attack, moving away from both the young girl and Roman. Now, Roman smiled.

_Well, what do you know._ Roman thought, before using his newly positioned cane to parry the young girl's scythe. Then, Roman quickly threw the young girl to his side, but not before entangling the curved end of his cane onto the blade of the scythe. The light weight of the scythe made it all the more easier. He then removed the scythe from his cane, where he finally got a feeling of the weight of the intricate weapon.

"Hmm… The thing is giant, but it feels like I'm just holding really strong cardboard." Roman then said, just before blocking another strike from Rain. "Good god, you just can't quit can you, kid?" Roman asked, before using his cane to grapple with Rain's blade, before snatching it off of the boy's hands. Rain's eyes widened as Roman began to admire the blue blades. "Hey, this is a nice weapon." Roman commented. "It's well balanced, light enough to be speedy but heavy enough to knock someone out, if not cleave them in two." Roman then notices a button on the handle, which he presses. With a click, the two blades collapse and retract into the two boxes on the handles. "Easily portable too." Roman said, "I'm impressed." Roman then effortlessly dodges a tackle from the young girl. "Oh, you're still here?" Roman then asked.

"What did you do to Crescent Rose?!" The girl then demanded, with full sincerity. Roman then chuckled.

"You really gave your weapon a name?" Roman said, softly chuckling in-between words. "Kids these days." Not satisfied with not getting an answer, the girl immediately goes in for a punch. Sloppy and limp, the punch was effortlessly intercepted as Roman grabbed the girl's fist, before twisting the girl's arm. He then places Rain's weapon inside another pocket before going in to break the girl's arm, but was abruptly interrupted by a punch to his cheek from Rain. This caused the criminal to let go of the girl's hand as he had to defend himself from the boy's strong but swift blows. Rain even managed to get a few good licks in, as Roman stumbled back from suffering three blows to the head. Roman grasped his face, with his jaw now dislocated. He then looked back at Rain, who had entered a full battle stance with his smirk no longer visible. Roman then reattached his jaw with a snap, before letting out a chuckle.

"Damn, you're just full of surprises kid." Roman then stated before collapsing his can and placing it in his pocket. Rain did not give a response; instead racing towards the criminal with rapid sidesteps. Once Rain closed the distance, he then went for a low gut shot. But this time, Roman used his own hand to push away the punch. But Rain was far from over, he then went for two jabs and a haymaker. Roman managed to block and parry the three strikes. Adjusting his strategy, Rain goes for a roundhouse kick, which Roman manages to block, though this does knock him off balance. At this point, Roman had decided that being defensive wasn't his style. Roman then threw three haymakers, alternating sides with each punch. Rain managed to parry all three, but failed to block a fourth punch, this time, an uppercut to his chin. Roman did not give Rain a break, as he continued to throw punch after punch. But Rain countered this by using Roman's momentum to throw a punch straight at the criminal's face. After giving himself an opening, Rain speeds towards Roman, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks. Roman quickly noticed that the punches, while not the best form, were still disciplined and precise.

"You've got some damn good training, kid." Roman then commented, as he blocked, parried, dodged, or took the blows from Rain. "But something tells me that's all you have." Rain wasn't listening to the criminal's compliments, as he went for a harder punch, clearly with the intent to knock Roman out cold. But the slower buildup of the strike allowed Roman to pull out his cane, holding it to where the curved end was up high. He then held it like a bat, preparing for his moment to strike. Rain threw his punch, but Roman simply sidesteps to his left. But before Rain could react and readjust, Roman used the curved end to wrap around the boy's neck, pulling him up and throwing him overhead to the ground in front him. The impact is strong enough for Rain to bounce back up, before having his face stomped by Roman's boot. "Oh, so close but like they say." Roman then says, but he couldn't finish his saying, as Rain uses his palm to push the leg away. The force of which knocks Roman off his feet entirely. Rain rolls back to his feet, right before swiping at Roman's pocket, regaining possession of his duel blade.

"I believe this belongs to me." Rain remarks. Roman simply responds by aiming the barrel end of his cane right at Rain's head. Having no time to knock away the weapon, he simply jumps back, as Roman fires a blast from the cane, which bursts in the sky. Once Rain regains his focus, he sees Roman back on his feet, and clapping.

"Congratulations, you got back your weapon. You're mother and father must be so proud of you." Roman remarked. But to Roman's surprise, Rain began to shake, tightening his grip on his blade. Extending his blades and aiming the barrel at the criminal. "Oh, hit a nerve, have I?" Roman then said, with a wicked smile on his face.

"You better be careful with what you say next." Rain responded. Roman then laughed, mockingly shaking his hands in the air.

"Aw, the superhero trying to be scar, how cute!" Roman then said. "Well then, how 'bout you give me a scare? Shoot me." Roman then stretched his arms out, in a defenseless gesture. Rain said nothing, but his weapon clicked, as a small cylinder inside spun around, until it stopped. "Oh, are you actually gonna kill me? Or are you still a little kid waiting for his mommy and daddy to save him?" Rain now glared his teeth. He then steadied his aim, and nearly pulled the trigger. But before he could, the young girl, rearmed with her scythe, immediately rushed in front of him, in the line of fire! Whether or not he was unable to shoot or if he refused to shoot, either way, he panicked.

"Miss! No! Don't attack him!" Rain screamed. But his warning fell on deaf ears, as the young girl swung her scythe at Roman, who again, easily fought her off. But instead of simply pushing her aside, he punches the girl in the face, only holding back as to not completely knock the girl out. Roman then holds the girl by her neck in front of him. "Let her go!" Rain barks. Roman simply chuckles.

"And what if I don't?" Roman then asked. Rain did not reply, instead keeping his weapon aimed at the criminal. "You know what; I think you guys have put me in a good mood." Roman then stated. "So I'll grant your request." Roman then throws the girl right towards Rain, but the young boy managed to effortlessly seize the girl before she fell to the floor. But unfortunately for him, Roman fired a red blast right at Rain's face. And this time, he couldn't block the blast. Luckily, the blast wasn't strong enough to kill him, but it pushed him back quite the distance and nearly knocks him out. Roman then casually begins to walk away, humming a little tune as he did. But then he stopped and turned around. Roman then aimed his cane at the young girl who had fully lost consciousness. "Can't be too careful." Roman then stated. He then fired a final white blast at the girl. The ball of raw, volatile energy punched through the air, as it headed straight for the girl. But before the blast hit its mark, Rain propelled himself towards the young girl, and cleaved the ball in two! The two halves then floated away, but not too far, exploding at a just safe enough distance with a force only strong enough to move the hair on Rain's head. Rain then looked back for Roman, but the master thief had vanished. No doubt using the explosion as a diversion to make his escape. Then a sudden realization came over the young boy.

"The girl!" Rain exclaimed. He then sprinted towards the girl, checking her for any severe injuries he could see. His examination didn't last long, as Rain heard sirens coming his way. When he looked back up, the first face he was Officer Vlare staring back at him with the look of a disappointed scowl.

"You okay, kid?" Vlare asked, nonchalantly. Rain simply sighed as he closed his eyes. It didn't bother him that he heard Vlare ask for two handcuffs. "Sorry Rain, but I can't let you off the hook this time." Vlare then stated.

"It's fine." Rain replied. A statement that couldn't be farther from the truth. While being cuffed wasn't too bothersome for him, as he would simply be released as Vlare had taken quite a liking for the boy, it was the fact that he had failed to catch a major criminal. His first failure, in fact. Rain let out another exasperated sigh as the Vale Police Force cuffed his hands behind his back.

* * *

Rain might've been too fast on assuming he would simply be released. The only hassle the boy expected to deal with was some paperwork and maybe an order for house arrest if he was really unlucky. But instead, both he and the now conscious girl in red were sitting together in black, boring, and tiny interrogation chamber for at least 30 minutes. Rain had said nothing since he was placed in the room, but he saw that the girl sitting to his right looking awfully sheepish. Rain then began to wonder how old the girl even was, a question he was not expecting an answer to as he wasn't going to ask the girl what her age was. But Rain came very close to doing so, until he decided that it would only cause the awkward silence to grow even more uncomfortable than it already was. In truth, Rain had hoped to have a conversation, but since he knew nothing of the person next to him, he had nothing to start with. Thankfully for him, he didn't have to; the girl decided she would be the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry about what happened." The girl apologized, "And for what I did." Rain looked at the girl with disbelief. He had partially expected someone who had acted so irrationally and rashly would be prideful or bratty, but she wholeheartedly apologized to him. Granted, she had a good reason, but it wasn't like she had full control over the situation, as Rain remembered feeling cornered by the criminal as well.

"It's alright." Rain answered. "And what you did was really brave, by the way." Rain partially felt a little guilty about telling the clearly guilt-ridden girl somewhat empty words but he figured a compliment would help ease the tension.

"Phff, me?" The girl responded, "Did you even see yourself, Mr. Speedster?"

_Mr. Speedster?_ Rain thought, but he quickly pushed the thought away. "Well, how much of it did you see?" Rain then asked.

"When you were fighting that master thief." The girl responded. "I couldn't believe how fast you fought." Rain let out a nervous giggle.

"Well, I did my best." Rain simply responded. "But you did your best too, you know?" The girl's expression grew more somber, now Rain was starting to feel some guilt.

"Well yeah but, my best did nothing but get in your way." The girl then stated. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better, but it's fine. I know I screwed up." Now Rain was really feeling guilty. Maybe he should have just taken the apology and the compliment and left it at that. Thankfully for him, the chamber door opened, and a tall, slender woman with light blonde hair walked in. A tablet scroll in one hand, and what appeared to be a riding crop in the other. Rain immediately straightened himself at the sight of that. The girl somewhat sunk herself, trying to hide under as much of the table as she could.

"So you're the one they call Rain?" The woman then asked. Rain simply nodded. The woman then returned her gaze at the tablet scroll, before pulling up footage of the fight on the screen. She then showed the two the footage. "I must say, Mr. Rain, your skills in hand-to-hand combat and with the duel blade are impressive. But I'm afraid that your skill is only matched by your recklessness." The woman stated. Rain looked puzzled.

_Reckless?_ Rain immediately thought. "Me?" Rain asked, immediately feeling stupid for asking.

"Yes, you." The woman answered. "While your aid to the Vale Special Response Unit is commendable and your apprehension of dangerous convicts worthy of praise, it's clear that you simply just rush forward with no real plan or concern for your own well-being." Rain had nothing to say, as while he didn't like the way the woman relayed the information, it was mostly true. The woman then shifted her attention towards the young girl next. "As for you."

"Y-yes?" The girl yelped.

"Your name is Ruby Rose, is it not?"

"Y-yes! I am Ruby Rose!"

"You are a student who hasn't even finished their training at Signal, and yet you took up arms and decided to go after a vicious criminal." The woman stated. "Forgive me if you believe I'm too harsh, but the truth is, what you just did was not a sign of bravery or even recklessness. I would go as far as to say it was a display of stupidity." Ruby put her head down in shame and embarrassment.

"Wh-don't you think that's a little too much?" Rain then rebuked. "Heck, she can't be that much older than me." The woman opened her mouth to say something, but then someone else walked through the door.

"I believe the boy has a point, Glynda." A male voice then said. Glynda and the two kids shifted their attention towards a seemingly young man with strangely silver hair. He wore a pair of antique-looking glasses and wore a black coat with a green vest. In one hand, was a plate of chocolate chip cookies, and in the other, a cane with an intricate handle. "I think 'stupidity' may have been too much." The man then said. "Why not, 'inexperience'?"

"I choose to disagree, Ozpin." Glynda responded. "As Rain has clearly demonstrated, that despite his recklessness, he at least showcases skill if not talent." Ozpin simply chuckled.

"Well, it is hard to argue which is the more skilled of the two, but I feel that perhaps Miss Rose might need some better training than the teachers at Signal." Ozpin stated. He then turned to look at Ruby, while giving her the plate of cookies. Ruby looked at the cookies, then at Ozpin, then back at the cookies. "Go ahead." Ozpin said, gesturing for the little girl to eat. Ruby then took a bite out of a cookie. Then before long, nearly the entire plate was free of cookies save for one half of a cookie. Rain looked on in awe. When Ruby noticed Rain looking at him, she decided to give the boy the half-bitten cookie. Rain decided that he wasn't one for sweets at the moment. Ozpin let out a chuckle.

"You truly have a love for cookies don't you?" Ozpin then asked. Ruby wiped her mouth with slight embarrassment.

"Sorry, I didn't know how hungry I was." Ruby responded. "I won't have to pay for those cookies, will I?" She nervously asked.

"Well, there's a little question that I want you to answer." Ozpin stated.

"Huh?" Ruby blurted out.

"Do you know who I am?" Ozpin then asked.

"You're Ozpin." Ruby quickly answered. Ozpin let out another chuckle.

"Sorry, I should have phrased that better." Said Ozpin. "Do you know who I am in terms of my occupation?"

"You're the headmaster of Beacon." Ruby answered. "I don't know a single person in Vale who doesn't know who you are."

"Ozpin?" Rain then asked. "Beacon?"

"Wait, you don't know?" Ruby asked, flabbergasted. Rain then scratched the back of his head.

"Well, not exactly." Rain responded. "I feel like I should know the names cause I hear about them all the time, but I guess I never paid attention." Ruby immediately jumped to her feet.

"I don't believe that!" Ruby then exclaimed, "Beacon is only one of the most prestigious Huntsman academies there is! Only the toughest, smartest, and most incredible combatants can enroll!"

"Oh, okay." Rain responded, still looking just as confused as before. Ozpin let out a light chuckle. Ruby took this as a queue to sit back down.

"Well, I believe that is enough flattery from you, Miss Rose." Ozpin then said. "Anyway, Miss Rose, why did you choose to go to Signal Academy?" Ozpin then asked.

"Well, I want to become a Huntsman." Ruby answered, "Why else would I be at Signal?"

"Good point, Miss Rose." Ozpin replied. "So, how many years at Signal do you need in order to graduate?"

"I just finished my second year." Ruby answered. "Some of my teachers have stated that I could actually skip ahead, but I've decided that I'll try for another year for now."

"Really now?" Ozpin then said. Glynda silently scoffed.

"I highly doubt that." Glynda muttered.

"Hey." Ruby said, clearly hurt by the remark.

"Well, regardless of tonight's fiasco, you still showcase some remarkable bravery." Ozpin then stated. "Not to mention, if you really went to Signal, you would've had to forge your weapon, which is impressive on its own." Ruby then blushed.

"Thank-thank you." Ruby replied.

"So, how would you feel if I let you enroll at Beacon Academy during the next semester?" Ozpin then asked. Ruby's eyes immediately lit up.

"Wait, really?!" Ruby excitedly asked. She then immediately pulled herself back. "Wait, you really think I should do it?"

"Well, that's your choice, isn't it?" Ozpin then responded. Ruby's eyes lit back up again.

"Wait, you're really giving me the option to go to Beacon?! That's been my dream since I was 5!"

"So that is a yes, I presume?" Ozpin asked, still as calm as ever. Ruby jumped to her feet again, a wide, child-like smile stuck on her face.

"YES! YES! ABSOLUTELY, YES SIR!" Ruby yelled, the sound reverberating in the tiny room. Rain had covered his ears as he waited for the girl to calm back down.

"Very well then." Ozpin then said, letting out a small chuckle. "Miss Goodwitch, please escort Miss Rose outside." Glynda sighed as she gestured for the young girl, still gleaming with excitement, to follow her. Ruby was still mumbling excited sayings, or at least what Rain assumed to be excited sayings. Even when Glynda closed the door behind her, Ozpin and Rain could still hear the excited young girl, whose excited mumbles became more like gibberish than any known language.

"Well, she seems passionate." Rain then stated.

"That she is." Ozpin replied. He then turned back, facing the young boy sitting at the table. "So, what about you, Rain?" Rain had to take a second to process what the professor has just said.

"Me?"

"Yes, I'd like to know more about you."

"Well," Rain began, but found himself stuck. Everyone in the room before had already known the one remarkable thing about himself that Rain could already think about. He didn't feel fully comfortable telling the professor about his personal life, and he had never enrolled at any combat school.

"Where did you learn to fight?" Ozpin then asked.

"I guess you could say I was homeschooled." Rain answered, not sure if he had even used his choice of words correctly. Ozpin then stood by, pondering on his next move.

"Well, your fighting skills are most certainly impressive." Ozpin then restated.

"Thanks, but you already told me that." Rain responded, now placing himself in a bit of a defensive position. "Where exactly are you going with this?"

"I'm just wondering how much your skills would advance, if you had some professional training." Ozpin stated, with a small smile on his face. Rain's expression immediately shifted from confused to annoyed.

"If this is your tactic to get me to go to your school, let me just say, you're gonna have to do a lot better." Rain then stated. Ozpin backed up, not too much but enough for Rain to notice.

"Please, I meant no disrespect." Ozpin responded. "It was simply a suggestion."

"If it really is just a suggestion, then my answer is no." Rain then stated, with no hesitation whatsoever. Ozpin let out a disappointed sigh, before heading to the door behind him.

"A shame, really." Ozpin then said. "You're already an incredible warrior, especially for your age. Reminds me of your father, actually." Rain felt his heart stop for a moment.

"What did you…?" Rain started, but his mind became stagnant. Ozpin's smile returned to his face. Rain soon realized what Ozpin had just done, but he knew it was too late. "What do you mean?" Rain then demanded.

"Well, I'm afraid that information is confidential, only official Huntsmen are allowed access to those files." Ozpin calmly answered. Rain let out a frustrated sigh, he knew where this was going. "Again, it is only a suggestion. You still have a while before the semester is back in session." Ozpin then opened the door, before turning back to face the young boy. "You won't have to worry about the logistics. I'll handle everything. Even tonight's arrest." The professor then began making his way out, but then he stopped. He turned his head halfway. "Rain, about your father. I'm so sorry about what happened." The professor finally left the room, leaving a dumbfounded Rain to figure out what to do, or even what to make of the professor's words.


End file.
